The Charnel Rose: A Symphony Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABACDAECF GHIJKK CCJ LMNMOAA OP OAOADQQDAO HHRSRTSAD AUVWVSS X DYX DZA2A2 VFQYFQ B2 RRZZ C2C2HHD2D2E2E2F2F2CC G2G2OOMMYYG2G2 G2G2H2H2G2G2I2I2J2J2 G2G2LLA2RNNMMSSK2JL2 M2YYG2G2G2NLG2G2G2G2 I2I2H2H2LNN2N2 G2 VG2VO2SG2AA G2 DP2DP2Q2R2Q2R2G2S2G2 S2MG2MG2T2YT2YG2G2G2 G2U2V2U2V2 G2 G2G2G2G2 W2FW2V2DFV2 X2

She rose in moonlight and stood confronting seaA
With her bare arms upliftedB
And lifted her voice in the silence foolishlyA
And her face was small and her voice was smallC
'O moon ' she cried 'I think how you must tireD
Forever circling earth so silentlyA
Earth who is dark and makes you no reply 'E
She only heard the little waves rush and fallC
And saw the moon go quietly down the skyF
-
Like a white figurehead in the seafaring windG
She stood in the moonlightH
And heard her voice cry ghostly and thinnedI
Over the seethe of foamJ
Saying 'O numberless waters I think it strangeK
How you can always shadow her face and changeK
And yet never weary of her having no ease '-
But the sea said nothing no word at allC
Unquietly as in sleep she saw it rise and fallC
And the moon spread a net of silver over the foamJ
-
She lifted her hands and let them fall againL
Impatient of the silence And in despairM
Hopeless of final answer against her painN
She said to the stealthy airM
'O air far traveller who from the stars are blownO
Float pollen of suns you are an unseen seaA
Lifting and bearing the words eternallyA
O air do you not weary of your task '-
She stood in the silence frightened and aloneO
And heard her syllables ask and askP
-
And then as she walked in the moonlight so aloneO
Lost and small in a soulless seaA
Hearing no voice make answer to her ownO
From that infinityA
Suddenly she was aware of a low whisperD
A dreadful heartless sound and she stood stillQ
There in the beach grass on a sandy hillQ
And heard the stars making a ghostly whisperD
And the soulless whisper of sun and moon and treeA
And the sea rising and falling with a blind moanO
-
And as she faded into the nightH
A glimmer of whiteH
With her arms uplifted and her face bowed downR
Sinking again into the sleep of sandsS
The sea sands white and brownR
Or among the sea grass rustling as one more bladeT
Pushing before her face her cinquefoil handsS
Or sliding stealthy as foam into the seaA
With a slow seethe and whisperD
-
Too late to find her yet not too late to seeA
Came he who sought forever unsatisfiedU
And saw her enter and shut the darknessV
Desired and swiftW
And caught at the rays of the moon yet found but darknessV
Caught at the flash of his feet to fill his handsS
With the sleepy pour of sandsS
-
'O moon ' he said 'was it you I followedX
You who put silver madness into my eyes '-
But he only heard in the dark a stifled laughterD
And the rattle of dead leaves blowingY
'O wind ' he said 'was it you I followedX
Your hand I felt against my face '-
But he only heard in the dark a stifled laughterD
And shadows crept past him with furtive paceZ
Breathing night upon him and one by oneA2
The ghosts of leaves flew past him seeking the sunA2
-
And a silent star slipped golden down the darknessV
Down the great wall leaving no trace in the skyF
And years went with it and worlds And he dreamed stillQ
Of a fleeter shadow among the shadows runningY
Foam into foam without a gesture or cryF
Leaving him there alone on a lonely hillQ
-
I PartB2
-
Evening in the twilight townR
One by one the stars stepped downR
Each to assume his destined placeZ
And there he saw the destined faceZ
-
Her eyes were void here eyes were deepC2
She came like one who moved in sleepC2
And when she looked across the nightH
Beneath among those points of lightH
Into his heart she shot a pangD2
As if a voice within him sangD2
Sang and was silent Down the streetE2
And lost in darkness fled the feetE2
Ambiguous the street lamp's gleamF2
Mocked at her eyes and then the dreamF2
From shuttered window shadowed hallC
Chuckled beyond a lampless wallC
-
Among the crowding lights he wentG2
Where faces massed like lillies blentG2
And this time plucked and made his ownO
Above snarled music's undertoneO
Breathing the perfume of her hairM
He touched her arm but suddenly thereM
As in a dance of shadows fleeingY
His eyes were shut for fear of seeingY
He watched red roses dropt apartG2
Each to disclose a charnel heartG2
-
Ghostly with powder in the nightG2
Her hand upon his arm was whiteG2
Her gown was light and lightly blewH2
A gauze of flame it burned him throughH2
Under the singing lamp she stoodG2
And smiled in subtly fugitive moodG2
From depth to depth of wingless skiesI2
Withdrawing batlike down her eyesI2
And in his heart an echo cameJ2
Of quick dust quaking under flameJ2
-
Pale walls enclosed them One light shedG2
A yellow flicker across the bedG2
Loud steps rang through the street and thenL
The hush of night grew deep againL
Two shadows on the wall made oneA2
What human walls were here flung downR
The light extinguished as in painN
The weak light dying in the brainN
Green leaves pushed up through yielding airM
Greedy for life she loosed her hairM
With conscious and indifferent handsS
High on his cliff above hard sandsS
He saw the moonlit ocean comeK2
In ever inward rings of foamJ
Heard them break to shoot and seetheL2
Ever inward far beneathM2
The ringed horizon rhythmic comingY
And in the moonlight silent foamingY
But the dream changed thick minutes drippedG2
Between his fingers a fleet light slippedG2
Was gone was lostG2
And on the sand or in his brainN
He saw red roses fall againL
Rose wreathed skeletons advancedG2
And clumsily lifted foot and dancedG2
And he saw the roses drop apartG2
Each to disclose a charnel heartG2
-
Whose were these loathed and empty eyesI2
Who falling in these wingless skiesI2
This was not she he rose withdrewH2
One shadow on the wall made twoH2
The human walls stood up againL
Far in the night or in his brainN
He heard her whisper felt her passN2
Shadow of spirit over glassN2
-
I PartG2
-
And a silent star slipped golden down the darknessV
Taking his life with it like a little cloudG2
Consumed in fire and speed diffused in darknessV
Tangled and caught together the days the yearsO2
His voice his lifted handsS
Were ravelled and sped where by the sea he bowedG2
And dreamed of the foam that crept back into the seaA
And the wandering leaves that crept back into the treeA
-
I PartG2
-
Roses he thought were kin to herD
Pure text of dust and learning theseP2
He might more surely win to herD
Speak her own tongue to pledge and pleaseP2
What vernal kinship then was thisQ2
That spoke and perished in a breathR2
In leaves she was near enough to kissQ2
And yet impalpable as deathR2
Spading dark earth he tore apartG2
Exquisite roots she fled from himS2
Her stigma in the crocus heartG2
Probed for delicately would swimS2
Lazily faint away on airM
Not to be caught or held she fledG2
Before him wavering everywhereM
A summer's secret behind he shedG2
Music He found it under earthT2
Quick veins of fire he heard her singY
Upward it broke a springing mirthT2
A fugitive and amazing thingY
It flashed before his crazy feetG2
He danced upon it it would not stayG2
His hands against its brightness beatG2
But still it broke in light awayG2
O bird he cried if bird you areU2
Keep still those frantic wings a whileV2
Thus dancing for the evening starU2
In hope to capture it by guileV2
-
I PartG2
-
The moon rose and the moon setG2
And the stars rushed up and whirled and setG2
And again they swarmed after a shaft of sunlightG2
And the dark blue dusk closed above him like an ocean of regretG2
-
White trident fires were lit on the tops of towersW2
Monstrous and black the towers broke the skyF
The ghostly fountain shot and tumbled in showersW2
Gaunt leaves turned down above it thirstilyV2
The gold fish and the fish with fins of silverD
Quivered in lamplight rose with sinister eyeF
And darted into the darkness silentlyV2
-
The faces that looked at him were his own faX2

Conrad Potter Aiken



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